Man Beast

The Seville Statment in Violence. Animal kill to live

Seville Statement on Violence, Spain, 1986:

The Seville Statement on Violence was drafted by an international committee of 20 scholars at the 6th International Colloquium on Brain and Aggression held at the University of Seville, Spain, in May 1986, with support from the Spanish Commission for UNESCO.

I was one of those who attend and had the honour of Translating the the statement into Arabic.

The Statement’s purpose is to dispel the widespread belief that human beings are inevitably disposed to war as a result of innate, biologically determined aggressive traits.

Man and Beast: Painted By Dr Taha Malasi

I painted Man and beast in Kuwait before the 1st Gulf war. It is claimed that man’s aggression and violence is based on his instinct and genetic just like any other animal-However animal kill to live but wars is a wicked calculated and planned activity. Those who plan wars really never spill their blood or their children’s blood but happy to send other people children to kill and die.

Misuse of scientific theories and data to justify violence and war is not new but has been made since the advent of modern science.For example, the theory of evolution has been used to justify not only war, but also genocide, colonialism, and suppression of the weak. The Painting is about the difference between (man) aggression and the so called beast!?

Seville Statement on Violence, Spain, 1986:

Believing that it is our responsibility to address from our particular disciplines the most dangerous and destructive activities of our species, violence and war; recognizing that science is a human cultural product which cannot be definitive or all-encompassing; and gratefully acknowledging the support of the authorities of Seville and representatives of the Spanish UNESCO;